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Calif. governments face $118 billion in retiree health costs
AP on Bakersfield Californian ^ | 1/07/08 | AP

Posted on 01/07/2008 1:24:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge

A state commission is recommending that California's state and local governments begin setting aside money to pay unfunded retiree health benefits that will total at least $118 billion over the next 30 years.

That is on top of $63.5 billion in unfunded pension benefits facing state and local agencies.

California's public pension systems have set aside money to cover 89 percent of their pension obligations. Otherwise, the $63.5 billion figure would be larger, the Public Employee Post-Employment Commission said Monday.

But the commission says governments are just beginning to deal with the costs of retirees' health benefits.

Just 22 percent of the state and local agencies responding to its survey have begun to set aside money to cover the health benefits they've promised retirees.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: California; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: california; governments; healthcosts; retiree; seniors
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That is on top of $63.5 billion in unfunded pension benefits facing state and local agencies.
1 posted on 01/07/2008 1:24:11 PM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

Davis’ legacy.


2 posted on 01/07/2008 1:25:29 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: NormsRevenge

Davis’ legacy.


3 posted on 01/07/2008 1:25:42 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: calcowgirl

FRom a year ago, ..

CA: Retiree costs in state could hit $100 billion ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1761018/posts
Posted by calcowgirl
On News/Activism ^ 01/01/2007 1:24:12 PM PST · 31 replies · 1,092+ views

Ventura County Star ^ | January 1, 2007 | Timm Herdt
Public agencies must tell liabilities for workers When Charles Weis took over as superintendent of the Ventura County Office of Education in 1993, he took a look at the agency’s employee benefits package and envisioned a potential train wreck far into the future. The agency was promising to pay the health insurance costs for employees after they retired, but it was putting no money aside each year to cover those distant financial liabilities and had no real idea of what those future costs might be.


4 posted on 01/07/2008 1:26:01 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline —1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRGeT)
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To: NormsRevenge

The State of California should suggest that their retirees take up smoking so that they can die sooner. This might be the only way CA can avoid bankrupting themselves with these idiotic pension and health care systems for the tens of thousands of public employee union members who have helped loot the state.


5 posted on 01/07/2008 1:26:14 PM PST by bpjam (Harry Reid doesn't even have 32% of my approval)
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To: bpjam

It was one heck of a loot tho, eh?


6 posted on 01/07/2008 1:28:27 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed ... ICE’s toll-free tip hotline —1-866-DHS-2-ICE ... 9/11 .. Never FoRGeT)
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To: NormsRevenge

I truly regret not going to work for the state when I moved to CA 35 years ago. Stupid money and no accountability forever.


7 posted on 01/07/2008 1:28:51 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (We've checked, and all your zeroes are OK. We're still working on your ones.)
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To: NormsRevenge

A billion here. A billion there. - It adds up.


8 posted on 01/07/2008 1:30:11 PM PST by bill1952 (The right to buy weapons is the right to be free)
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To: NormsRevenge

Oh yeah! Those Gray Davis years were really something. Talk about having a hangover though. Its going to take an Excedrin the size of the moon to cure it.


9 posted on 01/07/2008 1:30:44 PM PST by bpjam (Harry Reid doesn't even have 32% of my approval)
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To: NormsRevenge
California's public pension systems have set aside money to cover 89 percent of their pension obligations. Otherwise, the $63.5 billion figure would be larger, the Public Employee Post-Employment Commission said Monday.

So $63.5 billion is just 11% of their total pension obligations ... that $577 billion total.

How many people are on the government pension dole in la la land? If its a half million people that's over $1 million per ... where can I sign up

10 posted on 01/07/2008 1:34:34 PM PST by tx_eggman ("Believing without loving turns the best of creeds into a weapon of oppression" Eugene Peterson)
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To: NormsRevenge

“unfunded retiree health benefits “

If a private company did this, they’d be off to jail.


11 posted on 01/07/2008 1:37:07 PM PST by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: Brilliant
Davis’ legacy.

It was Jerry Brown who allowed State employees to unionize. We're finally seeing the bill.

Best we hang it around his neck before he makes a comeback.

12 posted on 01/07/2008 1:51:27 PM PST by Carry_Okie (Duncan Hunter for President)
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To: NormsRevenge

In San Jose, after someone puts in 15 years working for the city they have guaranteed health insurance for life. The plan currently requires NO copayments whatsoever for regular visits, emergency room visits or prescription drugs. An article in Saturday’s SJ Mercury news addressed this issue and said they were trying to change it so people would be required to pay $10 per regular visit, $20 for emergency room visit and $5 for prescription drugs. The spokesperson for the retirees said this wasn’t ‘fair’, the retirees were unable to plan for these additional costs.

Several rhetorical questions spring to mind.
1. Who on earth can expect to go to the doctor, emergency room or get prescription drugs for free?
2. Assuming you see the doctor twice per year for regular checkups, who cannot afford $20 for them?
3. Assuming you have a chronic condition that requires numerous doctor visits (1/wk for instance) who cannot afford $520 per year for what could reasonably be assumed to be thousands of dollars in medical care?
4. Who would possibly want to give up such a sweet deal?
5. Why didn’t I get one of those jobs?????


13 posted on 01/07/2008 1:53:30 PM PST by TMD (Keep Planned Parenthood out of our schools!)
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To: Carry_Okie

Davis’ legacy.
It was Jerry Brown who allowed State employees to unionize. We’re finally seeing the bill.

Best we hang it around his neck before he makes a comeback.”

Good ole Jerry Brown has already made enough of a comeback to be the State AG.

Don’t know what the law is there now for him running again for Governor.
His personal pension- Jerry Brown’s— has to be monumental.
He has been working for the state or for the City of Oakland as Mayor since he was weaned from the bottle.

By now, he has enough stach to run for President....??


14 posted on 01/07/2008 1:57:21 PM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: NormsRevenge

Take it out of the State Legislature salaries. They are the ones that screwed it up and the employees shouldn’t have to pay for it.


15 posted on 01/07/2008 1:57:31 PM PST by RC2
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To: tx_eggman

Seems like they’d be better off to offer them a lump sum payoff.


16 posted on 01/07/2008 2:27:31 PM PST by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: Brilliant

How is this a “Davis legacy”?


17 posted on 01/07/2008 2:46:02 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: RC2
Take it out of the State Legislature salaries. They are the ones that screwed it up and the employees shouldn’t have to pay for it.

You mean the legislature in 1974 and 1978, who enhanced the benefit? Or the legislature in 1961, when the benefit was first established.

18 posted on 01/07/2008 2:51:02 PM PST by calcowgirl ("Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink." P. J. O'Rourke)
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To: NormsRevenge

I am sure the illegals will pony up to pay that


19 posted on 01/07/2008 2:51:35 PM PST by BurbankKarl
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To: tx_eggman

They could reduce it substantially by reducing benefits for future service, but of course they won’t do this. The easiest way out would be to just do away with Prop 13. Imagine the billions, possibly trillions, of dollars of untaxed value sitting there waiting to be looted!


20 posted on 01/07/2008 2:53:19 PM PST by sailor4321
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